The US Open has announced a record prize pool of $108m, a 20% increase on last year's $90m, prompting leading players to call off threatened protests at this year's tournament. The announcement on 20 August 2026 also included a $2m commitment to a new Player Support Program and confirmation that all four grand slams will establish a joint Player Advisory Council, marking a significant breakthrough in an 18-month dispute over prize money, player welfare and governance.
The disagreement between the four majors and top-ranked players, including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, began roughly 18 months ago when leading players, including Novak Djokovic and Sabalenka, criticised the French Open's prize money structure and called for changes to scheduling and player welfare provisions in May 2026. Tensions escalated when Sinner and Sabalenka led limited media cooperation at Wimbledon in pursuit of a bigger revenue share, pensions and welfare funding. The French Open became the first slam to offer players a share of event revenue on 21 July 2026, intensifying scrutiny of the US Open's forthcoming announcement.
What prize money will players receive?
The US Open's $108m total represents a 44% increase since 2024. Both singles champions will earn $5.5m, while first-round losers will receive $140,000, the largest amount in tennis history for making the main draw. Mixed doubles champions will again receive $1m, and qualifying first-round pay increases to $32,000 according to industry reporting.
Why has this dispute lasted so long?
Players want the grand slams to match the 22% revenue share already allocated to prize money by the ATP and WTA tours; by contrast, Wimbledon's £64.2m prize pot amounted to roughly 14.4% of the championships' total revenue. According to reporting from July 2026, players' demands have included separate advisory councils at each individual slam, an annual $4m contribution toward pensions and healthcare, and a revenue share beginning at 16% and rising incrementally to 22% by 2030. The same reporting noted that discussions between the USTA and a players' committee had signalled willingness to proceed with an advisory council and welfare contributions, though no specific dollar figure had been agreed at that stage.
What are players saying about the announcement?
Players have welcomed the US Open's package as meaningful progress, though they remain committed to securing an agreed revenue-sharing formula across all four grand slams rather than relying on annual prize money announcements. A spokesperson for the players said:
"These steps represent important progress in the ongoing conversations between players and the US Open over the past 18 months. This is a substantial increase in prize money. While this is not yet tied to an agreed revenue-sharing formula, players remain committed to that principle and will continue to work with each of the grand slams toward that goal. Players value the meaningful commitment to player welfare and are keen to discuss how it can grow to fully meet the needs identified in the players' July 2025 proposal. Players have also strongly welcomed the decision by the four Grand Slams to establish a Player Advisory Council, a significant milestone, as it reflects real responsiveness on one of the requests players laid out to the Grand Slams eighteen months ago."
How will the Player Advisory Council work?
All four grand slams have confirmed they will establish a joint Player Advisory Council, which will launch after the 2026 US Open according to the official US Open announcement. A person involved in the negotiations said it was essential that players retain control over who represents them, how those representatives are chosen, and how much influence they hold in the slams' decision-making processes. Both the ATP and WTA already operate player councils with representatives elected directly by players for fixed terms; the ATP's 2026 council, for comparison, counts Marcelo Arévalo among its named members, according to the tour's official announcement. The initial composition, framework and operating structure of the Grand Slam Player Advisory Council are still being finalised, with players and their representatives set to discuss the details of how the council will be composed and how it will operate.
Will players stage protests at the US Open?
No. The US Open's announcement has prompted players to call off threatened media boycotts at this year's tournament, which begins on 30 August 2026. Several players had floated the idea of boycotting the US Open's mixed doubles event, which the USTA has expanded as part of a broader push to grow revenue by stretching the tournament to three weeks. Notably, world No 1 Sinner did not appear among the entrants when the main draw was announced on Tuesday, though women's No 1 Sabalenka is set to compete in a high-profile pairing alongside Djokovic. Sinner had played mixed doubles at last year's event with Katerina Siniakova but withdrew because of an illness contracted the previous week at the Cincinnati Open.
What happens next?
Players are expected to continue pressing for an agreed revenue-sharing formula with all four grand slams rather than relying only on annual prize-money announcements. The US Open's $2m Player Support Program is split to include $1m for men's support and $1m for women's support according to industry sources. The US Open is the first of the slams to make an additional financial commitment on player welfare, which will increase pressure on the others to follow suit. The Grand Slam Player Advisory Council will launch after the 2026 US Open, with its initial composition and operating structure still being finalised.
Key Facts
- The US Open prize pool of $108m represents a 44% increase since 2024 and a 20% rise from last year's $90m.
- First-round singles losers will receive $140,000, the largest amount in tennis history for making the main draw.
- The USTA will commit $2m to a new Player Support Program to provide benefits and complement existing pension funds.
- All four grand slams have confirmed they will establish a joint Player Advisory Council, launching after the 2026 US Open.
- Players have agreed not to stage protests at the US Open but remain committed to securing an agreed revenue-sharing formula across all four majors.
